Some days a 10 minute mid-day break is all that is needed to take a breath, collect thoughts, and regroup. This is that for me. It's amazing I still have a blog after all of these years. A little neglected, yes, but a much appreciated space even still. A place to take a breath, collect my thoughts, and regroup. Some days that's all any of us need.

As a product of my Florida upbringing, June 1st marks a very special day in my calendar: the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Now, I'm not one to celebrate disaster or to wish a hurricane upon any community, but I am one to preach hurricane preparedness and education about what to do in the event of an emergency.

My dad spent a good chunk of this past winter adding to and building up the seawall along our family home, knowing that it wouldn't take much of a storm-surge to cause a flooding event along Escambia Bay. Living on the water comes at a cost. Warm moist air, light winds, and water temperatures over 80 degrees fahrenheit are all of the ingredients you need to make a hurricane. For all of my Florida friends out there, be sure to visit the State of Florida's Essential Guide to Hurricane Preparedness.

On a related (but nerdy-NASA-loving) note, this past December NASA launched the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System which will help improve hurricane forecasting by better understanding interactions between the sea and the air near the core of the storm. In addition, it will supply forecasters with an updated image of the storm every 12 minutes. Oh boy, we've come a long ways since those hurricane tracking charts every Floridian was taught to use in the 2nd grade. A long way indeed.

It was an unusually (or perhaps not-so-unusually) wet winter here in the Pacific Northwest. As a southern girl hailing from a state that prides itself on warm weather and sunshine, these last few months have been tough and I'm ready for blue skies and rising temperatures.

Several weeks back I went on a road trip with an incredible group of folks, and as it usually does, my time spent playing DJ in the car rekindled my love for sharing music with others. Last November's Hot Tea and Sweater Weather: A Rainy Day Musical Guide post received such a warm response that I decided to create another list of tunes that have been playing through my head as of late (note: the Spotifiy playlist link can be found below). Without further adieu, here are the Rain Showers and Cherry Blossoms songs that have been my soundtrack for this season of life:

Leif Vollebekk: Vancouver Time - This album is one of my favorites of 2017 thus far. Sometime songs give you that feeling of falling in love; this entire record does that for me. This one will be clearly time stamped in my life. Indeed it is Vancouver time.

First Aid Kit: King of the World - There's a third part harmony there in that chorus that I go for every time. Do I hit it every time? Meh. Do I smile every time? You bet I do.

Josh Garrels: Pilot Me - My prayer in life. Genuine and beautiful. Over the waves and through every sorrow; Savior please pilot me...

The Revivalists: Catching Fireflies - This tune reminds me of late nights back home spent at the Vinyl dancing (or not dancing) with some of my favorite people. This New Orleans group never ceases to make me smile.

James Taylor: Dance - I must agree. They are great. And One Man Dog will forever be one of my favorite albums of all time because in my mind it will forever be tethered to those late nights spent with dad.

Melanie: Brand New Key - Mom loves this song. And if you know my mother, you probably get why; it's just fun. And let's face it, Mom, you're pretty fun.

Suzanne Vega: Tom's Diner - I first heard her name while traveling in the countryside of the Czech Republic. Sitting around the campfire we didn't speak the same language, but I realized that when I sang none of that mattered. I finished my song and a little Czech man turned to me and said, "Suzanne Vega. You are Suzanne Vega."

Hurray for the Riff Raff: Look Out Mama - Ohhh, hearing this just makes me want to return home to the South. To walk barefoot along the shores of the Bay. Past the alligators I hardly see but know are there. All the while waving away the mosquitos with one hand while waving hellos to the neighbors with the other.

Punch Brothers: Julep - I have distinct memories of wandering aimlessly around campus last Spring while listening to Julep on repeat. It's funny the places a song can take us and how far from those places we can come.

Cake: Short Skirt/Long Jacket - I am constantly shocked by the number of Canadians I meet who have never been exposed to the musical stylings of Cake. These guys shaped my teenage years. I still text my brother lyrics to this tune out of the blue. Without hesitation he always texts the next line back. I miss you, Jeff.

I'll leave you for now with these twenty-one tunes as I eagerly and not so secretly hope for sunny days and rising temperatures.

Be yourself. That's all anyone can ever ask of you. It's the greatest compliment you can give to someone; to just be yourself. To be yourself without fear of judgment - that's what makes relationships grow, friendships blossom, and walls come down. And I realize that the people I can most be myself around, are those that I appreciate the most for they've taken the time to notice the magic I hold within and in turn have shared theirs with me.

I'm excited to announce that I have launched my very first Kickstarter campaign!! You can CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY KICKSTARTER PAGE. I recently was face-timing with my Papa and was explaining to him what all a Kickstarter campaign entails. He asked some great questions that I thought I would spell out and explain here for anyone with similar questions about the campaign. Here it goes:

What is Kickstarter?Kickstarter is a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life.” In essence it’s a place where projects can find investors and investors can find cool projects.

Tell me a bit about you project?I am setting out to make a new album. My best one yet! I’ve spent the last two years writing songs that I'm proud of and that I believe represent a cohesive body of work. I’ll be working this summer with producer Daniel Mendez (Head Above Water Music) at his studio in Austin, Texas. Daniel has worked with artists such as Heart, Duran Duran, and Dashboard Confessional. I will be hiring a band full of some of my favorite musicians who will help take my bare bone songs into full-fledged works.

How much money are you hoping to raise?$5,000. Through outside investors and personal funds (i.e. money I saved from playing concerts), I was able to put forth the down payment to start the pre-production process with Daniel. I spent the last week of December at his studio in Austin and played him some 60 songs in 5 days. We sifted through and picked out a solid set of tunes for this record. I was very fortunate to be able to fully self-fund my last 3 albums. However this project is unlike any I’ve set out to record before and the $5,000 I am asking for is essential to get this record off the ground.

Where does my money go? Every dollar of the $5,000 we are setting out to raise will go towards the recording process: paying the musicians, reserving the studio, renting gear, etc. And if by some miracle there's anything left over, that money will go towards the printing of physical copies of the album and promoting the album.

What do I get if I invest in your project?I have set up some really awesome rewards for those who contribute to this campaign. You can find them on the Kickstarter Page. It includes everything from a download of the album before it is released to me coming to your house to play a concert for you and your friends.

What does an “All or Nothing” project mean?Kickstarter is an all or nothing crowd-funding site, which means that if I do not reach my $5,000 goal that I do not receive any pledges for this project and no one is charged. If the project is successful then investors are not charged until the 25-day campaign comes to an end (March 26th).

How does the Kickstarter site make money? (Papa was very intrigued by this)If a campaign is successful, Kickstarter receives a percentage (5-10%) of the money raised (ie: if I raise my goal of %5,000, Kickstarter will take some $500 as their fee, I will actually receive only $4500). If the project is unsuccessful, no one is charged (neither the investors nor the project creator) and Kickstarter does not make any money off the campaign.

Is there a video I can watch to tell me a bit more about your project?There sure is!! You can watch the video above!

If you've made it this far down in the post, you are amazing! Thank you so much for your consideration!! We have 25 days to raise $5,000! My hope is that together, with your help, we can reach our $5,000 goal, and I can begin this next season knowing I have the all the tools to make this new record the very best it can possibly be!!